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Bates Motel (2013–2017) is a drama thriller television series developed for television by Carlton Cuse. Kerry Ehrin and Anthony Cipriano and produced by Universal Television for the cable network A&E. The series, being a "contemporary prequel" to Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho (based on Robert Bloch's novel of the same name), depicts the life of Norman Bates and his mother Norma prior to the events portrayed in the film, albeit in a modern setting. The series begins after the death of Norma's husband, when she purchases a motel located in a coastal Oregon town so she and Norman can start a new life.

First You Dream, Then You Die [1.01]

Norma Bates: Norman, we've been through a lot. This is our chance to start over.

Norman Bates: Maybe some people don't get to start over. Maybe they just bring themselves to a new place.

Norma Bates: They do get to start over, but they have to try.

Norma Bates: This is the part where you say, "Mother, this is beautiful. I am so happy we're moving here. You are so smart to have thought of this."

Norman Bates: Mother, this is so beautiful. I'm so happy you're making me move here. You're so smart to force me to do things I have no say in.

Norma Bates: [laughing] You're an ass.

Dylan Massett: Thanks for letting me know you moved, mom.

Norma Bates: Well, I'm pretty sure the last time we spoke, you told me to "drop dead, bitch". Sorry I took it personally.

Norma Bates: Who is gonna book a room in the rape/murder motel?

Norma Bates: We came here to start over. I am starting over!

Norma Bates: I'm the worst mother in the world.

Norman Bates: Mother-

Norma Bates: Look what we're doing, Norman. You deserve so much better. You know, when you were born, it was like God gave me a second chance. And all I ever wanted was for life to be beautiful for you, and look at it. Look at what your life has been. I mean, what good am I doing you?

Norman Bates: Mom, you're everything everything to me. You're my family. My whole family, my whole my whole life, my whole self. You always have been. It's like there's a cord between our hearts.

Norma Bates: Honey...that's from Jane Eyre. Orson Welles says it to Joan Fontaine.

Norman Bates: Right. But you know what I mean.

Norma Bates: [to Norman] It's you and me. It's always been you and me. We belong to each other.

Nice Town You Picked, Norma... [1.02]

Dylan Massett: Interesting morning in White Pine Bay. Burnt up dude drives into a ditch in front of your new hotel? How rude. You know, it's a really nice town you picked here, Norma, to start a new life and all, you know?

Norma Bates: Stop calling me Norma.

Dylan Massett: [about Norman and Emma] Do you think that she has to take that thing out of her nose when they make out?

Dylan Massett: You're a damn joke, Norman. You let that bitch run you like a puppet.

Norman Bates: She doesn't run me. She cares about me. And she's not a bad person, she's just not perfect! At least she tries, you son of a bitch!

Dylan Massett: You don't get it, do you, Norman? She's ruined you.

Zach Shelby: Have you noticed what these people do for a living? Artisanal cheese, organic pig farms. And yet, most of these people, somehow, they're all living in million-dollar homes. They're driving European cars. The town, it was built on the logging industry, but all that collapsed with the tree huggers. I'm just saying that there are there's different ways to produce an economy, and it's not always what it seems.

Norma Bates: But surely you can't allow illegal things, bad things to happen here.

Zach Shelby: The people in this town, they deal with things in a different way, but it gets dealt with.

Norma Bates: And what about the guy who was burned?

Zach Shelby: It'll be dealt with. An eye for an eye. It'll get handled.

Norman Bates: This is all a little peculiar.

Emma Decody: No. You know what's peculiar? A 17-year-old boy using the word "peculiar".

What's Wrong With Norman [1.03]

Dylan Massett: [to Norman] Can I give you some advice? You gotta cut that shit out. "Mother?" It's just weird.

Dylan Massett: This where they shot Deliverance?

Ethan Chang: What's that?

Dylan Massett: A movie. Ya know, "Boy, you got a pretty mouth."

Ethan Chang: What kinda movies you watch?

Dylan Massett: The kind where bad things happen to people in the middle of the woods.

Norman Bates: [to Emma] Maybe you're right. Maybe this is real. But finding out what happened to this girl isn't gonna make a difference to anyone. She's still gonna be dead, you're still gonna be sick, and I'm still gonna be who I am.

Trust Me [1.04]

Will Decody: Norman. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but my daughter has quite a crush on you. And you seem like a nice kid. And I know you know she has a lot of, um, problems. She's not strong, and she's very young. Just a regular girl in many ways. So please be decent.

Norman Bates: I am decent.

Norman Bates: You had every right to defend yourself.

Norma Bates: But I didn't defend myself. I killed the crap out of him!

Norman Bates: Whatever.

Norma Bates: Did you just "whatever" me?

Ocean View [1.05]

Norman Bates: You don't just walk away from your parents.

Dylan Massett: Of course you do. We all do. I mean, isn't that the point?

Dylan Massett: [about Norma] She lives for the drama. She's like a addict, Norman. And when you have an addict in your life, the best thing you can do for them, and for yourself, is walk away.

The Truth [1.06]

Gil Turner: [to Dylan] You stepped up. You handled things in the moment. That's good work. That means something to me.

Norma Bates: [to Emma] Had I been lucky enough to have a daughter, I would have wanted her to be exactly like you.

Dylan Massett: [about Norman] What's wrong with him?

Norma Bates: I don't know. Maybe it was an isolated incident. All I know is he's innocent of it. He didn't know what he was doing, so he needs to be protected. So you can either get out of my way, or you can help me.

The Man in Number 9 [1.07]

Norma Bates: Every time I walk out the door, it's gonna be, "Oh, what a beautiful day. Hey, that's where Deputy Shelby bled to death".

Norma Bates: [discussing Bradley Martin] What is she like?

Emma Decody: She's only the prettiest girl in school. And the most popular. And she's nice, so you can't even hate her.

Norma Bates: [to Norman] Norman, did you know that having sex with a woman literally affects her physical being? There are chemicals that are released in a woman's body during and after sex that actually alter her. It's like a science experiment. It affects her mind, okay? That's dangerous stuff. That's not something you want to be dabbling around in for fun.

A Boy and His Dog [1.08]

Summer: [gossiping in the girl's room] She would never have sex with someone like that.

Jenna: Ugh, no way. She can't be that stupid.

Emma Decody: [emerging from a stall] Well, maybe you better talk to her. Because she did.

Summer: I don't think you know what we're talking about.

Emma Decody: Actually, I don't think you know what you're talking about. Bradley had sex with Norman. Sex, as in carnal-back-and-forth. Maybe she has sex with all her pets, I don't know. But you should really get your facts straight before you shoot your mouth off with your demeaning opinions. And you've got toilet paper on your shoe.

Norma Bates: Well, I, um, I see that there's a seat open on the city planning committee, and I wanted you to put me forward for it. Maybe I can influence their decision.

Alex Romero: Why would I do that?

Norma Bates: Because I thought you would.

Alex Romero: Why?

Norma Bates: Because because of what we've been through. Because we know things about each other.

Alex Romero: We don't owe each other anything. We're not friends. You don't know me in any social sense, other than as your sheriff. Don't assume differently just 'cause I was kind enough to save your ass once.

Norma Bates: Excuse me, but weren't you saving your own ass at the time? I mean, the fact is that your deputy was doing all of this right under your nose, and you knew nothing about it. I mean, that's not how you rewrote the story.

Alex Romero: Are you trying to say that you have something on me? Is that it? 'Cause if you did, that really wouldn't be good for you, okay? I mean, I might have to burn you down to the ground, you know? Don't ever try to intimidate me. Don't walk into my office and ask me for political favors based on nothing. You and I have no connection. We're not on the same playing field. Don't ever assume that we are. You don't know what you're doing. Go home, Mrs. Bates.

Blair Watson: I tried to tell him that he couldn't leave campus, and he was practically shaking. I took his arm to lead him back in, and he pulled it away pretty violently.

Norma Bates: Are you supposed to be putting your hands on the students?

Jake Abernathy: Okay, you want to play? We'll play.

Emma Decody: I'm pretty used to things not turning out the way I expect and making the best of it.

Underwater [1.09]

Norma Bates: I had an idea when I moved here of how life was gonna be. And, oh, okay, sure, while life can be disappointing, no one prepared me for the colossal frickin' face-dive off a cliff that living in this crazy-ass town really is.

Alex Romero: I'm gonna have your house patrolled on the half hour. Let me know if anything else happens.

Norma Bates: Oh, like what? Like he digs up a couple more dead people and puts them in my bed?

Alex Romero: Yeah, like that. 'Night, Norma.

Midnight [1.10]

[Emma looks forlornly at a banner for the winter formal dance]

Norman Bates: You look kinda pathetic.

Emma Decody: Really. I was just thinking how glad I am that I don't have to get all dressed up and go. What a pain.

Norman Bates: You should go.

Emma Decody: No one asked me. I dunno, it doesn't do anything for my pathetic quotient.

Norman Bates: You want me to go with you?

Emma Decody: No. That's silly. That's more than silly. That's tragically lame.

Norman Bates: Oh, I don't mind. I'd like to.

Emma Decody: Oh, please. You're just asking because you're my friend and you feel sorry for me.

Norman Bates: [smiles] Well, yeah.

Emma Decody: [smiles] Okay, jerk-off, I'll go with you.

Norman Bates: MOTHER!!

Norma Bates: What?!

Norman Bates: I need some black socks.

Norma Bates: Well did you check in your drawer?

Norman Bates: [sarcastically] Oh, it never occurred to me to look in my drawer! Hmm! Well what am I supposed to do!? I can't go to this stupid dance wearing white socks with a suit!!

Norma Bates: Well I don't know where your stupid black socks are! It's not my fault you decided to go last minute to a dance! What am I supposed to do, guard some black socks!?

Norma Bates: I-I know I've said a lot of things, but this is the truth. And I want someone to know the truth about me in this world, and I'd like that to be you, if you're okay with that.

Norman Bates: Yeah, of course I am.

Norma Bates: My brother used to make me have sex with him when I was, like, 13. And it went on until he moved out. Oh, I know I shouldn't have told you. I shouldn't have told you. It's just you're the person that I'm closest to in this world.

Norman Bates: I understand, mother.

Norma Bates: When I realized just how messed up that was, I couldn't tell anyone. We had so much trouble. There was no money. My mom was already checked out of her body. My dad was insane. He was so violent. I knew that if I told my dad, he would kill my brother, so I never told. One day, when my dad was supposed to be at work, my brother was doing things to me, and I heard the front door open and it was my dad, home unexpectedly. And I was so scared that I jumped up so fast. And the hot iron fell off the ironing board, and it hit my leg.

Norman Bates: I'm so sorry, mother.

Norma Bates: Anyway, you know, it-- it doesn't really matter, right? It was a long time ago.

Emma Decody: [to Norman] You know what's ridiculous? Me, thinking you'd take me to the dance, and see me all dressed up, and realize you actually have feelings for me, Norman Bates, because you do, but you're just too stupid to know it.

Alex Romero: [after killing Abernathy] Not in my town, you piece of shit.